A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

New curator nails topical art show

A+crowd+gathers+to+experience+the+%E2%80%9CTradition+of+Mayhem%E2%80%9D+exhibit%E2%80%99s+opening+night+at+the+Santa+Rosa+Junior+College%E2%80%99s+Doyle+Library+art+gallery+Sept.+19.
A crowd gathers to experience the “Tradition of Mayhem” exhibit’s opening night at the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Doyle Library art gallery Sept. 19.

Marna Hill has never curated a large exhibit before, yet the success of the “Tradition of Mayhem” art exhibit in the Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery belies her inexperience.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Hill said, when asked about the results of the exhibit, which runs through Oct. 17. “I just wanted that very simple, clean image.”

It’s easy to see what she means when you walk into the uncluttered exhibit, assembled entirely by Hill herself. The first thing you’ll notice are the three metal bomb sculptures that hang under the title in the entryway, one of several pieces by the youngest artist in the show, Evan Chambers. Then, the works lining the walls in the well-lit gallery will drive your attention in every direction.

The paintings and prints on the walls surround sculptures on pedestals. They are hung not by order of artist, but in an order Hill chose to capitalize on common themes and emotions.

The metal and ceramic pieces on pedestals are the most attention-grabbing. “Revelation II,” by Al Farrow is a model of a church and steeple made of gun parts and bullets, with a battered bible sitting inside. Weighing around 400 pounds, the model required a flatbed truck and manpower provided by Nick van Kridjt to move. SRJC provided transportation for the pieces that artists could not deliver.

“Some artists depict the Tradition of Mayhem in a more subtle way,” said art student Anna-Jael Hotzel. Subtle portions of the exhibit include the prints from
Catherine Wagner. Her photos of crude prosthetic limbs could be interpreted in several different ways. In her artist’s statement, Wagner
explains that the photographs represent the healing power of humans individually and as a culture, but the dark backgrounds imply a sad monument to destruction and injury.
“Helliburton,” by Michael Knowlton, however, is more blatant in its subject and opinion, a painting depicting a wounded soldier in an apparently Middle-Eastern ruin.

Elizabeth Hack, who gave a presentation on the exhibit Sept. 16, mentioned an interesting clash of masculine and feminine themes. “2 Crouched Men on Caterpillar/Tanks” and “Women & Babies/Overpopulation” are painted clay bowls by Al Farrow, featuring large genitals and women giving birth.

The chaos implied by the title of the exhibit is set from the first step, helped along by the music playing in the gallery. A playlist set by Hill and remixed by her godson, the music compliments and enhances the experience. From German poems to a song played in the movie “Platoon,” the music “creates a feeling of uneasiness,” Hotzel said. “Interesting mix of older stuff, and newer.” Sprinkled throughout the playlist are intentional disc scratches and skips, perhaps to instill a sense of anxiety.

Hotzel isn’t the only student to have visited the exhibit. Several teachers assigned their art students to visit the gallery and record their reactions to the art, but every student is encouraged to check out the free event. Other artists featured are Sandow Birk, Elyse Pignolet, Heidi Endemann, Bella Feldman, Hanna Hannah, Art Hazelwood and Melanie Kent Steinhardt.

The Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery is on the the first floor of Doyle Library on the Santa Rosa campus and, according to several art admirers, the show is a must-see.

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About the Contributor
Asa Hackett, Opinion Editor, Spring 2014

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